There are now 1.8 million zero-hour contracts, as exposed in the latest Labour Force Survey by the Office for National Statistics. With many more on short-hour contracts of four to 12 hours, it's clear bosses are continuing their drive towards insecure work.

Bosses tell us workers appreciate the flexibility these contracts provide. The reality is this is flexibility only for the bosses.

When the average working week for someone on a zero-hour contract is 26 hours, it's clear workers are being taken for a ride; denied the basic rights fought for by the workers' movement.

Last year's Tory-commissioned Taylor Review into working practices made some minimal suggestions for improving the lives of zero-hour workers. This includes a higher minimum wage for non-contracted hours, and the right to request a contract that reflects hours actually worked.

But even these small demands seem too much for the bosses, so have been met with stony silence from the Tories.

At its recent annual conference, retail union Usdaw voted unanimously to campaign for all zero-hour contracts to be abolished, and to replace them with minimum 16-hour contracts except where workers ask for less. This would be a step towards reversing growing underemployment and insecure work.

However, these demands cannot just be words. We cannot expect to simply ask the bosses and their politicians nicely and hope they give in.

Workers need determined action from across the trade union movement to win these basic demands. The example set by the striking McDonald's workers should inspire all workers in industries plagued by short and zero-hour contracts to demand action against them.

We need to build a bold movement which campaigns for at least £10 an hour as a minimum wage without exemptions; which campaigns against all insecure working practices, to guarantee decent, well-paid jobs for all.

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Finance appeal

The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.

The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.

The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.

The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.

Inevitably, during the crisis we have not been able to sell the Socialist and raise funds in the ways we normally would.

We therefore urgently appeal to all our viewers to donate to our Fighting Fund.